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EDNESDAY
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24, 2004
www.tulsaworld.com
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B
Y
M
IKE
A
VERILL
World Staff Writer
When severe weather threatens the
area, Tom Lewallen and Ar tie Palk con-
verge on Sand Springs’ Emergency
Operations Center.
With Palk volunteering as a certified
amateur radio operator, the city is now a
member of Skywarn, a network of storm
spotting amateur radio operators who
communicate live storm information to
the National Weather Service office in
Tulsa.
“It’s added a whole new dimension,”
said Tom Lewallen, emergency manage-
ment director for the city. “When we get
to the point we feel the weather is haz-
ardous, we respond here, turn on the
gee-whiz stuff and start monitoring.”
Amateur radio operators from all over
the area feed information to the National
Weather Ser vice of fice in Tulsa.
“It’s like 100 extra eyes and ears out in
the field that we can monitor,” Lewallen
said.
Palk said assisting in emergency com-
munications is one of the major focuses
of amateur radio.
“When there’s an emergency, radio
operators come out of the woodwork.
That’s just the nature of them,” he said.
“It’s a hobby, but they come together
and provide a vital support service.”
And, communication is crucial during
the storm season.
“We tr y to give every citizen as much
warning as possible,” Lewallen said.
“Every eye and ear gives us an oppor-
tunity to warn people one, two or even
five minutes prior to severe weather
happening.”
Both Lewallen and Palk have portable
and home weather radios.
“First thing, we bring up our equip-
ment at home. We might monitor the
progress from there for a couple of
hours before responding here,”
Lewallen said. “If we responded here
every time there was a squall line in
Texas, we’d be here all the time.”
The EOC’s communications room has
two computers and three televisions for
Lewallen and Palk to monitor storm pat-
terns.
“It’s one of those things you hope
never has to become functional, but liv-
ing in Oklahoma, it’s inevitable,” Palk
said. “We’re always preparing for what
might happen and hoping nothing
does.”
Palk stressed that Skywarn’s function
is only to assist other agencies, not
replace them.
Skywarn ready to hit the airwaves
MIKE AVERILL / Tulsa World
Tom Lewallen, emergency management director, shows of f the equipment at the
city's Emergency Operations Center. The equipment is used to track severe weath-
er in the area.
SEE WARN PAGE 4
Come fly with me
MAISHAH ENGLISH / Tulsa World
Priscilla Crabtree spends an afternoon last week at Chandler Park, 6500 W. 21st St., flying kites with her sons, Josh (left) and Christopher (right). The family
visited the park with the Sand Springs First Assembly of God Church's Sunday school group.
B
Y
D
AVID
S
CHULTE
World Staff Writer
Despite never finishing high school,
Willard Anderson, 71, Oakhurst,
believes his lack of education never held
him back in life.
Ever since he quit school in the
eighth-grade to help support his par-
ents, the former security of ficer has
found work. Yet something has both-
ered Anderson — causing him pain that
has lasted into his retirement years.
That pain, which only recently he has
been able to explain, was a lack of self-
esteem from having reading problems.
Today, Anderson
is one of about 200
people in the Creek
County area who
receive assistance
from the Creek
County Literacy
Program Inc. at the
Bartlett-Carnegie
Sapulpa Public
Librar y, 27 W.
Dewey Ave.
On April 3, the
program will hold its
annual spelling bee
event at Freddie’s Bar B-Q Steak House
and Banquet Facilities, 1425 New
Sapulpa Road. The spelling bee is an
annual fund-raiser for the nonprofit
organization that provides free reading
instruction to functionally illiterate
adults in the area, said Barbara Belk,
executive director of the organization.
Ever since the literacy program began
in 1989, it has worked to increase aware-
ness of reading problems that many
county residents face.
“One in five people in Creek County is
considered functionally illiterate and 16
percent read at level one literacy,” Belk
said.
Spelling bee
to benefit
Creek County
program
Barbara Belk
SEE SPELL PAGE 4
NORA K. FROESCHLE / Tulsa World
Work is progressing at Timberling Hollow, a new hous-
ing addition on West 41st Street in Sand Springs.
B
Y
N
ORA
K. F
ROESCHLE
Assistant Editor
The number of new homes in Sand
Springs remained fairly steady in
2003, with 72 building permits for pri-
vate residences issued by the city.
Bob Wolfram, director of planning
and development for the city, said it
was an average year, but he looks for
a burst of new homes in the coming
years.
He said ground will be broken
soon on a 200-unit upscale apartment
complex called The Mansions at
Sand Springs, on Parkway
Boulevard, east of 81st West Avenue.
And work on Timberling Hollow, a
150-lot housing addition that was
delayed in 2003, is proceeding now,
Wolfram said.
“This one’s got a lot of character
with natural features,” Wolfram said.
The addition is located on the
north side of West 41st Street, one
mile west of Oklahoma 97.
The terrain included a lot of rock,
and getting it cleared was part of the
delay, but now the lots are ready for
construction and much of the rock is
being used to accent the entry and
border of the development, he said.
The Jerry R. Gordon Development
Inc. addition is setting the tone for
new housing developments in Sand
Springs, Wolfram said.
“It’s the best that’s ever been built”
in Sand Springs, he said.
Homes at Timberling Hollow will
range from $170,000-$260,000.
Another development, Stone
Creek Estates, originally called Stone
Creek I, II and III, is in its third phase
of development of homes that range
in price from $110,000-$130,000.
Located on the south side of West
51st Street between Oklahoma 97
and 129th West Avenue, the three
developments by Concept Builders
Inc., and Gibson Homes Inc., now
include 122 homes. Nineteen lots are
left in Stone Creek II and Stone
Creek III will have 155 lots.
“Stone Creek I and II have sold as
quick as they can put a house up,”
Wolfram said.
Nearby Stone Villa is located off
West 51st Street near 129th West
Avenue, and will include 76 lots for
homes, also in the $110,000-$130,000
range. Those looking to build higher-
priced homes beginning at $250,000
can find lots in the Shadow Creek
addition.
The approximately 70 lots at
Shadow Creek, which is located on
Old North Road, one-half mile east of
New housing additions
popping up in Sand Springs
SEE HOMES PAGE 3
Tulsa World
Morrow Rd.
Chandler
Park
51st St.
41st St.
51
97
River
City
Park
4 1 2
64
97
51 64
Golf
course
10th St.
Timberling
Hollow
Stone Creek
Stone Villa
Shadow Creek
The Mansions
Shown
below
Tulsa County
TULSA
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51
44
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44
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